1. ​I get on very well with all my (collegues) colleagues.2. I’m looking forward to seeing you (tommorow) tomorrow.3. Do you know (wich) which of these is mine?4. I would have (prefered) preferred to stay at home last night.5. Sorry to (interupt) interrupt you, but it’s important.6. My keys have (disapeared) disappeared from the table!7. They organised a (suprise) surprise party for her birthday.8. She has a lot of (knowlege) knowledge on the subject.9. There was a lot of (resistence) resistance to his ideas.10. I don’t (beleive) believe that’s the best option.

There is one spelling mistake in each sentence. Can you correct them all? Answers will be posted next week!

1. ​I get on very well with all my collegues.2. I’m looking forward to seeing you tommorow.3. Do you know wich of these is mine?4. I would have prefered to stay at home last night.5. Sorry to interupt you, but it’s important.6. My keys have disapeared from the table!7. They organised a suprise party for her birthday.8. She has a lot of knowlege on the subject.9. There was a lot of resistence to his ideas.10. I don’t beleive that’s the best option.

This blog post will give you some tips on having a private teacher to help you improve your English.

First of all, how do you find a teacher? As well as searching online adverts and tutoring sites, you could also ask friends or colleagues if they can recommend a teacher. This has the obvious advantage that you can find out more about your teacher before meeting.

Think about what you want to achieve from 1-1 English lessons. Do you want to work on a specific area like pronunciation, grammar or fluency? Are you hoping to take an exam to prove your level, or do you need to improve your Business English for an interview or presentation? On the other hand, you might just want to achieve a higher level of English and work on all areas.

Most private teachers will offer a free meeting or consultation before starting lessons. Use this time to explain your goals and where/how you’ve learnt English before. Try not to feel nervous about speaking in English! You can also ask your prospective teacher lots of questions. For example, you could ask what qualifications* and experience they have. You might also like to ask how a typical lesson is structured, and whether your teacher would give homework. You can ask your teacher what materials they’ll use. Will you need to buy a book, for example? You’ll also need to consider where and when the lessons will take place, how much they will cost and how to pay, and how much notice you will need to give if you have to cancel a session. If you’re interested in taking an exam, make sure that your teacher would be able to mark written work.

So, once you’ve found a teacher and started lessons, how can you make the most of your sessions? As a 1-1 student, your teacher should tailor their lessons to your needs. If you don’t understand something, or want more practice on a particular topic, tell your teacher. Progress tests and feedback sessions are a good way of charting your progress.

For IELTS students, IELTS Simon has some great advice here on how to use a private teacher.

Above all, don’t be afraid to ask your teacher as many questions as you’d like!

*Look for the Cambridge CELTA or Trinity Cert TESOL as initial qualifications

As autumn has arrived in the UK, this blog post is all about this season, which in American English is called fall.

You’ve probably noticed the leaves changing colour and falling from the trees, and the days getting shorter. Has it been raining more? Here in Manchester we’ve had a lot of drizzle. There are also conkers on the ground, and children collecting them for fights! Have you seen any pumpkins yet, with carved faces ready for Halloween?

People have started to wrap up warm with winter coats and scarves.It’s only a couple of weeks until the clocks go back, so you get an extra hour on 30th October, and the mornings will be lighter (but the evenings will be darker!)

Have you already switched on the central heating or radiators in your home? Autumn is a great excuse to put on your dressing gown and slippers and enjoy a hot chocolate in front of the TV!​What do you think? Are you a fan of autumn, with its cosy nights and beautiful colours, or do you prefer one of the other seasons?

My students often struggle with spelling, as it can be impossible to spell a word from hearing it.Each of the ten sentences below contains one spelling mistake. Can you correct them all? I'll post the answers next week!

We’ve booked flights for our holiday, but still need to organise the acommodation.

The bussiness has grown rapidly and expanded into different countries.

Do you live in a village, town, or city? Do you like it there, or would you prefer to be somewhere bigger or smaller?

A lot of people love the urban lifestyle. They really thrive in a city, surrounded by skyscrapers and the hustle and bustle of commuters. There's always something going on in a city. You can watch a play or musical at the theatre, go bowling, watch the latest films at the cinema, learn about the city's past in a museum, watch a football match at the local stadium, admire art in a gallery, sample all kinds of food in a restaurant, enjoy the nightlife, go shopping... Shopping streets are often pedestrianised, so you don't have to squash on the pavement. The public transport is also usually very good in a city, which means it's possible to get around easily without driving.

What about the downsides? There's the stress of rush hour, the lack of green spaces, the pollution and the fact that things are usually more expensive. If you try driving in a city, you're likely to find lots of traffic jams, and may have difficulty parking. The city centre is usually crowded, and some people prefer to have more space.

Personally, I like living in a medium-sized town. I appreciate having local amenitieson my doorstep, but also love fresh air and open spaces! What about you? Write a comment below!

urban (adjective) - related to towns and cities. The opposite is rural

to thrive - to grow, develop or be successful

a skyscraper - a very tall building

hustle and bustle - a lot of noisy activity

a commuter - someone who travels to and from work. The verb is tocommute, and the noun is the commute

pedestrianised - only for pedestrians, which are people on foot

the pavement - the place next to the road where you walk

a downside - a disadvantage

rush hour - the time in the morning and evening when everyone is travelling to/from work

a traffic jam - when there are too many cars on the road and they aren't moving

One of the questions students ask me most often is how to remember new vocabulary. Different things work for different people, but here are some tips to help:

Write it down. Use a dedicated vocabulary notebook, and try to give an example of the word used in context. You may find it useful to group vocabulary by topic.

Think about word families. For example, if you learn the verb to relax, you can also note down the noun relaxation and the adjective relaxation.

Go over the vocabulary. You could fold a piece of paper down the middle with the word on one side and a definition/translation on the other and test yourself. Why not work with a classmate or friend and test each other? One of my favourite websites is Quizlet, where you can make digital flashcards and play games to help you remember the words.

Don't forget the preposition! If you learn the verb to depend, for example, don't forget that it's to depend on.

Look out for the word. I find that once I learn a new word, it suddenly seems to appear everywhere! Seeing the word in use is really helpful as it'll help you use it yourself.

Try using the new words. Next time you speak to someone in English, have a go at using the word in context. If you're not sure, you can ask them whether you're correct.

Don't expect to remember everything. You won't remember every single new word you see, so don't get frustrated if some don't seem to "stick" in your mind. Keep reviewing them, and remember that some words are more useful than others.

Do you have any other useful tips for learning (and remembering vocabulary)? If so, post them in a comment below!